This application generally relates to presenting actionable elements related to an object, such as a printed item, on a device. More particularly, this application relates to presenting electronic information related to the contents of a printed piece or item to facilitate use of or supplement the content of the printed piece.
Examples of printed publications include catalogs, magazines, newspapers, direct mail, retail inserts, signage, brochures, books, manuals, etc. Some embodiments may be used with printed pieces or items that are not publications. Some embodiments may be used with printed pieces such as single-page or single-surface printed pieces (as opposed to multi-page printed publications such as magazines, etc.), point of sale signage, outdoor signage (such as large signs displayed along a roadway), etc. Some printed publications are filled with URLs, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and other information that is not electronically accessible.
Computers, including smart phones and other types of electronic devices, are used as sources for information and entertainment. Electronic devices are being used to, for example, manage a user's schedules, display streaming video for entertainment and informational purposes, provide audio entertainment, display web pages, and display electronic books.
Computers can display printed text and images in increasingly high resolution and can also provide advanced functionality associated with the text and images. The advanced functionality associated with printed text and images can include providing word definitions, providing links to related information, allowing bookmarking of information, etc. For example, a person reading an electronic book can select an unfamiliar word and request a definition of that word. The computer displaying the electronic book can display a definition of the word from a locally stored database or using an external information source, such as the Internet.